sasdoc db elds capture_date 01 JAN 1994 lcapture_date channel nla lchannel class 666RET chass concepts CAT-C NUCLEAR FUELS INDUSTRIAL PLANTS NUCLEAR COOPERATION date 05 JAN 1976 ldate decaption_date 01 JAN 1960 ldecaption_date disp_date 01 JAN 1960 Idisp_date enclosure nla lenclosure eo X1 leo errors NlA Ierrors from SEOUL lfrom handling NODIS lhandling isecure 2 lisecure Iocator TEXT origclass SECRET Iorigclass or1ghand NODlS lorighand origpclass nla lorigpclass origphand nla forigphand pchannel nla lpchannel pclass nla lpclass reference 75 SEOUL 9928 75 SEOUL 9929 75 SEOUL 9961 75 STATE 302043 75 STATE 299089 75 STATE 305630 lreference review_action WITHDRAWN APPROVED APPROVED Ireview_action review_date 28 MAY 2004 Ireview_date 50997 DocId 31609327 DECLASSIFIED Authority NW 50333 TO APPROVED lt 22 lt 28 MAY 2004 by ifshinsr REFE rh gt APPROVED lt 07 Mar 2006 SEP 2004 by izenbei0 9L APPRO - by history VED lt 01 MAR 2006 by morefi revrew_markings - Margaret P Grafeld ot releasable under either Executiv 0 US Department of State rder or other law or regulation EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006 review_markings id date event subject ROK NUCLEAR tags MNUC PARM KS CA FR Itags db elds markings Margaret P Grafeld Not releasable under eit US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006 lmarkings msgtext her Executive Order or other law or regulation PAGE 01 SEOUL 00026 050835Z 17 ACTION NODS-OO INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 001 1 06185 0 0506522 JAN 76 ZFF-4 FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4730 WET-SEOUL 0026 NODIS E O 11652 XGDS-1 TAGS MNUC PARM CA FR REPROCESSING SUBJECT ROK NUCLEA 9928 B SEOUL 9929 C SEOUL 9961 D STATE 302043 REF A SEOU 99089 F STATE 305630 E STATE 2 DECLASSIFIED 50997 DocId 31609327 AuthorityNW50353 1 SUMMARY I COGNIZANT OF CONCERNS SET FORTH REF F TIONS IN REF ON GROUNCONSIDERATION AND MODIFICATION OF INSTRUC- WITH INVOLVED ANDDS POTENTIAL GAINS ARE NOT COMMENSURATE LATIONSHIR NOR ARE TA POTENTIAL DISRUPTION TO OUR BASIC IN KOREA I CTICS CONSISTENT WITH OUR LONGER TERM COURAGING NUCL AM CONVINCED THAT USG OBJECTIVE OF DIS- EAR PROLIFERATION BY BLOCKING REPROCESSING FACILITY IN KOREA CAN BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT FORCING CONFRONTATIO END SUMMARY 2 NO ONE CAN ARGUE AGAINST DESIRABILITY OF IMMEDIATELY OBTAINING CLEAR CUT UNAMBIGUOUS ROKG CANCELLATION OF FRENCH REPROCESSING CONTRACT REAL PRICE OF FORCING THIS POSITIO FURTHER WE QUE KOREANS NOW TO CANCEL REPROCESSING CONTRACT BEFORE AGREEING TO ENTER INTO DISCUSSIONS ON NON-SENSITIVE NUCLEAR COOPERATION A THERE IS EVERY INDICATION FRANCE WILL DECIDE TO CANCEL CONTRACT FOLLOWING ROKG DECISION TO DELAY BECAUSE OF PAGE 02 SEOUL 00026 0508352 OWN CONCERNS RE PROLIFERATION WHY SHOULD THE USG TAKE THE FULL GB CANADIAN DELAY IN SIGNING CANDU CONT IGIBLE INSTRUCTIONS WERE SO SUBTLE THAT KOREANS WOULD NEVER WITH OUR APPROACH ON REPROCESSING HAD I NOT OUT WE DOUBT THAT CANADIAN DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO SIGN CANDU CONTRACT WILL APPRECIABLY AFFECT ROKG DECISION IN REPROCESSING CONTRACT KOREAN DECISION WILL CONTINUE TO BE MADE ON FAR MORE SIGNIFICANT BASIS OF BROADER US RELATION- SHIP C DELAY IN CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON KORI II IS RISK KOREANS MUST TAKE AS I RECOMMENDED IN REF 0 IN FACT KOREANS AWARENESS THAT 8 DEPENDS ON CANCELLATION WILL GIVE KORI II SUBMISSION TO CONGRES IMPETUS TO THEIR DESIRE TO EXPEDITE DISCUSSIONS AND PERHAPS CANCEL REPROCESSING BEFORE COMPLETION ORE WE SHOULD NOT DELUDE OURSELVES THAT REPROCESSING D FURTHERM D EVEN IF NOW CANCELLED SHOULD ROKG PROPOSALS INADEQUATE BUT THERE IS IN FACT LIKE- EIEBOODJROKG WOULD TRY TO REVIVE CONTRACT WHETHER OR NOT THEY CANCEL GIVEN STAKES Now PATENTLY CLEAR TO THEM OTHER HAND REJECTION OF THE ROKG PROPOSAL TO INITIATE DELAYING FORMAL CANCELLATION 0F FRENCH REPROCESSING CONTRACT UNTIL THEIR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION HAS CLEAR CUT DISADVANTAGESI Eozsxs DOS QUIETLY POINTED 50997 DocId 3160932 A HIS FACE-SAVING COMPROMISE REJECTED PARK MIGHT EASILY REACT EMOTIONALLY AND REVERT TO STRONGLY-HELD POSITION OF FOREGOING US NUCLEAR COOPERATION FOR A POLICY OF SELF-RELIANCE HE REVERSED THIS POSITION ONLY WITH GREAT RELUCTANCE IT WAS DOUBTS ABOUT THE RELIABILITY OF THE US AS A LONG-TERM ALLY THAT INITAIALLY LED HIM TO SEEK AN INDEPENDENT NUCLEAR DETERRENT TO REPLACE IF NECESSARY THE US DETERRENT THESE DOUBTS WOULD BE REINFORCED BY OUR REJECTION TO BRING PARK AROUND AGAIN WOULD THUS NECESSI- TATE A BITTER CONFRONTATION UNNECESSARILY AFFECTING SUBSTANCE OF OUR TOTAL RELATIONSHIP SUCH A CONFRONTATION SHOULD BE RESERVED FOR ISSUES ON WHICH THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE PAGE 03 SEOUL 00026 0508352 B REJECTION DOES NOT COMPORT WITH OUR LONGER TERM GOAL OF MORE EQUAL AND LESS DEPENDENT ALLIANCE RELATIONSHIP WITH KOREA IN FACT I QUESTION WHETHER WE WOULD ADOPT SUCH A RIGID POSITION WITH WESTERN ALLY SINCE OUR STRATEGIC INTERESTS ARE LIKELY FOR FORE- SEEABLE FUTURE TO CALL FOR PROMOTING IN KOREA FRIENDLY POWER ALLIED TO US BUT INCREASINGLY LESS DEPENDENT ON US SUPPORT OUR POLICIES IN SUCH CRITICAL AREA AS NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT SHOULD FOSTER MUTUAL TRUST AND CONFIDENCE AND RECOGNIZE THAT A STRONGER KOREA EXPECTS MORE WITHOUT AT SAME TIME COM- PROMISING OUR INTERESTS IN PREVENTING NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION OR FOREGOING APPROPRIATE DEGREE OF SKEPTICISM ABOUT ROKG INTENTIONS C FINALLY EVEN IF ROKG BOVVS TO OUR PRESSURE AN PARK IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF MUTUAL DISTRUST COULD WELL TURN OUT TO BE MUCH TOUGHER IN DISCUSSIONS OF NUCLEAR COOPERATION SEEKING TO PINPOINT EVERY CONCESSION AND UNVVILLING TO ACCEPT OUR PROFESSIONS OF TRUST 4 LASTLY I SHOULD LIKE TO DEAL WITH APPARENT THESIS THAT NEGO- WITH FRENCH CONTRACT POSTPONED BUT NOT CAN- CELLED WILL PLACE USG IN WEAKER BARGAINING POSITION GIVEN KOREAN CHARACTER AND PAST EXPERIENCE WE MUST EXPECT SOME TOUGH BARGAINING WHETHER OR NOT CONTRACT CANCELLED BUT EVEN IF CON- TRACT NOT CANCELLED WE RETAIN NOT ONLY LEVERAGE OF OUR CLEARCUT NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGICAL EDGE BUT ULTIMATE LEVERAGE REPRESENTED BY ROKG DEPENDENCE ON US MILITARY SUPPORT WHICH HAS ALREADY PROVED EFFECTIVE FURTHERMORE FRENCH ARE NOW LIKELY TO TAKE US OFF THE HOOK FINALLY SINCE OUR PROPOSALS FOR COOPERATION ON NON-SENSI- TIVENUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY WERE MADE IN GOOD FAITH I CANNOT SEE ANY BASIS FOR CONCERN OUR KOREAN POLICY AND STRATEGIC INTERESTS ARE PREMISED ON BUILDING A POSITION OF STRENGTH IN SOUTH KOREA LINKED BY AN ALLIANCE BUT WITH LESS DEPENDENCE ON US THESE LONGER-TERM INTERESTS ARE THEREFORE SERVED BY BEING AS FORTHCOMING AS POSSIBLE WITHIN OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES IN TRANSFERRING NON- SENSITIVE NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY TO KOREA OUR COMMERCIAL AND ECONOMIC INTERESTS IN THIS GROWING KOREAN ECONOMY ARE BOUND TO INCREASINGLY BENEFIT AS WELL FROM SUCH COOPERATION I ALSO ASSUME WASHINGTON DocId 31609327 I DECLASSIFIED Aumo tyNWonfg EXPERTS HAVE To FRENCH OR EASILY TO PROVIDE PROPER REASSURANCES INTERESTS IN THE COURSE OP THESE DISCUSSIONS 5 TO SUM UP I URGE THAT WE AGREE TO WHAT MAY PROVE A NOT TOO E02 5x6 DOS PAGE 04 SEOUL 00026 0508352 SIGNIFICANT TACTICAL CONCESSION II 0 AVOID GREAT COSTS TO OUR LONGER TERM INTERESTS IN KOREA IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO WE WILL STILL HAVE VERY STRONG CARDS TO PLAY PLUS THE GOOD POSSIBILITY OF FRANCE TAKING THE ONUS FOR DELIVERING THE FINAL COUP 6 I THEREFORE PROPOSE FOLLOWING MODIFICATION OF INSTRUCTIONS AS SET FORTH REF E PARA 4 A THE USG APPRECIATES AND WELCOMES ROKG DECISION TO RE- CONSIDER REPROCESSING ASPECT OF ITS COUTRACT WITH FRANCE B WE ALSO APPRECIATE ROKG RECOGNITION OF SERIOUSNESS OUR OUR CONCERNS AND OF MAJOR BEARING THIS ISSUE HAS ON FUTURE OP OUR OVERALL C US PREFERENCE REMAINS FINAL CANCELLATION AT THIS TIME OF REPROCESSING CONTRACT D FAILURE TO CANCEL CONTRACT UNTIL COMPTETION OF DISCUSSIONS WILL FURTHER AROUSE CONGRESSIONAL AND PUBLIC SUSPICIONS AS DE- MONSTRATEC BY RESOLUTION AHPRECIATE TEXT OF RESOLUTION SOONEST UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES USG WILL NOT SEEK CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL OF KORI II LOAN UNTIL REPROCESSING CONTRACT CANCELLED E NEVERTHELESS GIVEN ROKG CONFIDENCE IN OUR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE MUTUALLY SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT BASED ON MUTUAL TPUST WE ARE PREPARED TO PROCEED WITH DISCUSSIONS ON NON-SENSITIVE NUCLEAR COOPERATION WITH OBJECTIVE OF REACHING EARLY AGREEMENT ON SCOPE OF COOPERATION WHERE FEASIBLE E G DETAILS ON MULTI- NATIONAL FACILITY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT F WE ARE THEREFORE PREPARED TO SEND AT EARLY DATE QUALIFIED USG PERSONNEL TO DISCUSS WITH GOKG THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF FUTURE US-KOREAN PEACEFUL NUCLEAR COOPERATION AS LISTED PARA 2 REF D we Do NOT INTEND HOWEVER To SEEK TO REPLACE NON-SENSITIVE NUCLEAR COOPERATION BETWEEN ROK AND FRANCE AND CANADA SNEIDER msgtext sasdoc DocIdz31609327 This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu